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RATA AND THE TOTARA TREE
Rata was a young boy who lived with men who couldn’t catch enough fish . Rata decided to build a canoe . He went to find a tree in the forest Rata found an enormous Totara tree.He chopped it down as hard as he could. The tree came down . He went home without the tree. Rata went back to the forest and saw the tree standing there.He got his Axe and chopped down the tree again. Rata went all the way back home again.He came back to the forest to see if the tree was still standing he spent all his time cutting the tree down,it fell. Rata pretended to go home but he hid instead of going home. Rata saw the birds ,insects and the patupairahe putting the tree back togthur.rata came out and asked,‘Why are you putting the tree back up again?‘The creatures said,‘You haven’t asked the sprit of the forest Tane.Rata searched for Tane in the forest.He found him and asked ,’‘Can I chop down your tree?” Tane replied in the wind you can chop down the tree.Rata chopped down the tree down and the creatures helped him build a canoe.Rata thanked Tane and the creatures.